Democrat Brian Wrightson defeated state Sen. Rosemary Brown in the race for Pennsylvania's 40th Senate District on Tuesday, Nov. 3, according to unofficial results.

The outcome flips Monroe County's state Senate seat from Republican to Democratic hands. The 40th District covers all of Monroe County along with parts of Lackawanna and Wayne counties.

With all 179 precincts reporting across the three counties, Wrightson earned 50,072 votes to Brown's 47,283, according to unofficial state returns reported by The Times-Tribune. Provisional ballots had not yet been counted, according to the Tri-County Independent.

Wrightson, 57, of Archbald in Lackawanna County, owns and operates Fire Tower Communications, which manages communications infrastructure and broadband expansion across Lackawanna, Monroe and Wayne counties, according to his campaign website. He previously served as director of emergency services for the American Red Cross in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Brown, 55, of Middle Smithfield Township, served 12 years in the Pennsylvania House before winning her Senate seat in 2022. She was seeking her second Senate term.

Data centers shaped the race

Both candidates took oppositional stances on data center development, an issue that has resonated across the district, WVIA reported. Wrightson said data centers were a key issue and called for a moratorium, according to The Times-Tribune. He said he would even support a ban if necessary, arguing unchecked development would threaten the region's environmental resources and tourism economy, WVIA reported.

Brown co-sponsored a bill calling for a three-year moratorium on data centers and introduced a "Residents First" legislative package in February that would limit large-scale campuses to industrial zones and establish pre-application requirements for developers, according to The Times-Tribune. The moratorium bill remains pending.

Republicans spent money trying to tie Wrightson's communications business to data center developers, WVIA reported. Democrats countered by accusing Brown of supporting data centers before opposing them, citing a Senate hearing she chaired at a Lackawanna County school in 2025 and campaign contributions from billionaire Jeffrey Yass, whom WVIA described as a school choice advocate and data center developer.

Victory and concession

Wrightson celebrated at the Moontower Bar and Grill in Archbald, where he got confirmation from the Senate Democratic caucus around 10:35 p.m., WVIA reported. He told supporters he started the campaign a year earlier by writing 10,000 letters to family and friends asking for a dollar.

"I want to express my deepest gratitude to all the voters in Northeastern Pennsylvania for placing their trust in me. I don't take that responsibility lightly," Wrightson said in a statement, according to the Tri-County Independent.

At the Grange Valley Lakeside Inn and Winery in Mount Pocono, Brown spoke to reporters. She did not discuss why she lost but said she hopes Wrightson prioritizes "really listening to people," WVIA reported.

Bigger picture

Wrightson's win helped Democrats secure control of the Pennsylvania Senate for the first time since 1994, according to WVIA. Democrats won four of five contested Senate seats statewide, giving them a projected 26-24 majority. That means Democrats will control the governor's office and both chambers of the General Assembly.

As Brown discussed what she would do next, she grew more emotional, prompting a campaign staffer to seek tissues.